Dragon Hotel

In the last blog post, I talked about the restaurant in Dragon Hotel in Hang Zhou. Actually, not only the restaurant but also the hotel has a very sophisticated system for their guests.

After checking in the room, the guests will get a key card. Then they can take the lift and go to the floor which their rooms are located. When they step out of the lift, the system can sense the key card automatically. After that, some direction lights on the wall turn on and the lights will show the guests which way to go and lead them to their rooms.

When the guests get into their room, the television will turn on automatically. “Welcome XXX (the guests’ name)” will be shown on the screen. The welcoming phrases will even be adjusted or translated to the guests’ home languages. If the guests are repeated guests, the guests’ favorite TV shows or channels will be shown automatically. Also, the air conditioning will be adjusted to the optimum temperature for the guests. If the guests com from foreign countries, they do not need to buy a new phone or sim card. They can use the phone, with sim card, provided by the hotel and travel around. If they want to visit any places in Hang Zhou, they can just give a call and a map for that sightseeing place will be printed automatically.

If someone rings the guests’ bell, the camera outside the door will transfer to images to the television. So the guests can know who rings the bell and get well prepared.

I really appreciate the hotel as they can maximize the usage of new technology and help to provide a better experience for their customers. Sometimes new technology makes people move further away from each other but I think this time it makes the relationship between hotels and customers closer as they can provide a more customized and personalized service to them.

reference:

http://zjnews.zjol.com.cn/05zjnews/system/2010/12/07/017144318.shtml

http://www.dragon-hotel.com/

iPad Ordering System in Restaurant

Dragon Hotel is located in HangZhou, China. It is a five star hotel. Recently, the restaurant introduced iPad and iPod Touch for ordering. It was a great success and it attracted many people attention.

When you get into the restaurant, the waiter will give an iPad as a menu. The chef will be shown on the screen and welcome your visit. Then you can take a look at the menu with beautiful pictures and detailed descriptions. After you selected the dishes you want, the iPod Touch from the waiter will receive a message. The waiter will reconfirm what you have selected. If there is no problem, the order will be immediately sent to the kitchen. When you are waiting for the dishes, you can even use the iPad to go on the internet, check the email and watching online videos etc.

Some people may think that this iPad ordering system can only be a gimmick and draw people’s attention. But actually it brings a lot of advantages to the restaurants. First, it can lower the cost of making a menu. You may think that buying iPad and iPod Touch would be much more expensive then a menu made of papers but it is not the truth. For a five star restaurant, they need to have a very sophisticated menu. They need high quality printing and papers, they need to hire professional photographers for taking photos and they need designers for designing the menu. It costs around 200 euros for one menu and they need to change it once a month so in long term it will be much more expensive than using iPad ordering system. Second, it is much easier for them to change the menu. They just need to change them in the system. In the past, they needed to wait for a week to make a new menu. Thirdly, it can assure the dishes on the menu can be provided definitely. Sometimes the ingredients are not available or because of special reasons the restaurant cannot make that dish. If you are using iPad system, you can just delete that dish and people will not choose the dishes the restaurant cannot provide. Fourthly, It can greatly reduce the human errors. Since the whole ordering process is computerized, it will not have mistakes on the prices or ordering form. Lastly, it is more environmentally friendly. If you are using iPad system, you do not need any menu and ordering form. It can save many papers.

In the future, the restaurant is planning to install cameras in the production place, the logistic place and the kitchen. Then customers can see the whole process of making a dish, from getting ingredients, transporting to the restaurant, and to cooking them.

I think it is a very creative and clever method to make well use of information technology in tourism industry. It will definitely be a great success and more hotels will try to use the same method.

Macau Government Tourist Office

There is an article, posted on 17th December, 2010, talking about Youku.com is going to cooperate with Macau.com in order to improve the quality of online video. Youku.com is one of the most famous online video websites and Macau.com is an online travel agency. Both of them cooperate with each other, also with Macau Government Tourist Office and expertise in advertisement, so as to increase the usage of online videos and improve the quality of them. As internet has become a necessity of daily life and online videos have become more and more popular, they are now very important for tourists to plan their trips or use them as references. Therefore, they all believe that this cooperation can definitely help Macau to boost Tourism and income.
The full text of the article (Chinese)


Macau Government Tourist Office always tries hard to use new technology to help tourist and attract tourists to visit Macau. On the official website of Macau Government Tourist Office, there is an area called “eZone”. In “eZone”, there are four buttons, which are MacauMap, Photo Gallery, eCard and Video Clips.

Macau Map provides an electronic map for tourists. The map not only provides the street names and sightseeing place, but also bus routes and restaurant names. There are altogether six versions of Macau Map for different users. For example, MacauMap v4.3 for iPhone and iPod Touch, MacauMap v2.01 for PalmOS and MacauMap v3.0 for WEB. Also, the data of the map are always kept updating as they want to give tourists the latest and most accurate information.

Photo Gallery has divided into four groups: Macau Scenery, Christmas, Macau World Heritage and Events & Festivals. The gallery not only shows the pictures of Macau but also introduce the festivals in Macau and how Macau looks like in different events.

eCard let tourists to send cards, with beautiful pictures of Macau, to their friends and relatives. It is a very good idea as through sending eCards, more people can see the gorgeous scenery in Macau and it can attract people to visit.

The video clips promote the slogan “Experience Macau!” and there are five videos with different sensations – See, Taste, Feel, Hear and Touch. Those five videos can let people understand what the slogan is and know what they can do in Macau.


According to the news above and the introduction of eZone, it can be foreseen that Macau will use more and more information technology to help their tourism business. I think that they can use more social media such as facebook and twitter to help as they are now very popular channels to do promotions.

Japan National Tourism Organization

Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) launched a new program in October called “Okinawa2Go!”. This is a program for giving help and guides to tourists. In this program, it includes 24-hour hotline with different languages. Tourists can ask for help when they have problems during the travel in Okinawa. There is also an iPhone apps – “Okinawa2Go!” provided. Tourists can download this application and use it as a virtual guide. They can search for all tourism information like sightseeing and transportation. They also can share their travel experience in Okinawa immediately. However, this brilliant iPhone application can only be used by tourists with iPhone . Therefore, starting from November, JNTO provides iPhone with the apps – “Okinawa2Go!” for tourists. Tourists can borrow the iPhone for free at the airport or the Tisco Japan counter. Using this iPhone, tourists also have free internet access and can call the 24-hour hotlines.

This new program is a combination with latest technologies. This is also what other DMOs do now. From the JNTO website, there are not much tools related to information technology provided for tourists. They have videos and pictures but no podcast and RSS. So information technology tools actually are new to JNTO. This iPhone apps is a new trial for them I think this is a good start as people from all over the world are now paying more attention to latest technologies and no one do not know what iPhone is. Therefore, using iPhone apps is a very good start and it can definitely draw tourists’ attention. From my point of view, JNTO should develop more IT tools in order to attract more tourists to come and visit. Nowadays, people want everything to be convenient and fast and IT can solve all the problems and provides what they want. Also, all DMOs are trying to create or develop the latest information technology tools for tourists. If JNTO is still providing the traditional tools for tourists, many tourists will not visit Japan anymore. It is because other destinations can provide more help and convenience to them. Therefore, information technology is really important in tourism industry and it cannot be neglected. JNTO needs to try hard in order to always be the top destinations in tourists' mind.

European Cities Marketing

The video is a lecture about European cities marketing. They studied 14 cities in Europe and did a survey about their usage of social media marketing and also their feelings on it. Most of them thought social media marketing is a very useful tool to promote their own countries and attract tourists to come. They usually use Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and their own blogs as tools to do marketing. They believed that this kind of marketing can expand their networks and reach more visitors all over the world. In the future, they will make more use on the internet and have more integration with their marketing strategies.

Blog of London

From this video, it shows that European cities are more rely on social media and internet for marketing. It means that social media is very useful and important for DMOs. In my opinion, not only European countries but also Asian countries tend to use social media marketing for promoting their destinations. Like my home town, Hong Kong, HKTB used a lot of social media to get tourists’ attention and interests to visit Hong Kong. As mentioned in the last blog post, HKTB has lot’s of social media like RSS, podcast, facebook and twitter etc. It shows that HKTB is experienced of using social media as a marketing tool. When using the level of expertise to describe HKTB, it is at level 3. HKTB has its own application for tourists to download from the website. The applications are travel guides and current events hold in Hong Kong. Also, HKTB has a well-organized homepage, with interaction corners which provide lots of social media tool, which help tourists to get the latest news and promotion of Hong Kong.

After watching this video, I am quite sure that more and more DMOs will make use of social media for promoting their countries. Using social media is very convenient and more people can be reached. The more people DMOs can reach, the more people will come and visit the cities. Also, using social media can build up better public relationship. They can have more communications and also knowledge exchange. Tourism is undeniably the main income of most countries. Therefore, a well-developed marketing strategy should be used in order to attract more tourists to visit and spend in the city. Although Hong Kong is now well-developed in using social media marketing, it still have lots to improve. HKTB needs to keep updating the latest technology news so as to modify their existing applications and tools for tourist. Tourists will visit a city if it gives them convenience. So DMOs should always try improving their tools to give tourists more help and social media is undoubtedly the most convenient tool.

e-Tourism in my home town - Hong Kong

Due to the emerge of new technologies, more than half of the tourists find information for travel on the internet. As more and more target customers use internet as a tool to plan their trips, the DMOs of many countries put a lot of efforts to improve their official website. They tried to use more new technologies to let tourists get familiar with their countries. Also, they use the new technoogies to promote their countries and give some help to tourists. Here are some of the new technologies that my home town, Hong Kong, use in order to attract more tourists.

1. Online Video


This is one of the promotion video of Hong Kong. In this video, it shows the characteristics and the charming places in Hong Kong. It also lets tourists know the culture and the atmosphere there. Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) posted this video on youtube, which is the famous onlin video website in the world. They posted it there because this can alert people and it has a bigger opportunity for tourists to reach this promotion.

2. RSS

RSS stands for ' really simple syndication '. When tourist uses RSS, they will be informed when there are changes for that website. For HKTB, they have RSS function for its website. Tourists who uses this function can know the lastest promotion and events that HKTB held. This function is good for both HKTB and tourists as this can help HKTB promote their acivities and tourists can get more inofrmation from HKTB.

3. Podcast

Like some of the DMOs in some countreis, HKTB has podcast as an audio guide for tourists. Tourists can download the audio guide from the homepage of HKTB. It is very convenient and useful for individual travellers( those who do not join tours). HKTB has even divided the  tourist spots into different categories in order to give tourists a clearer mindset.
Here is one of the audio files from HKTB:
Giant Buddha & Po Lin Monastery

4. Virtual Tours

Virtual tours is a tool for tourists to have a first impression of a tourist spot. It likes photosynth. After you have chosen a tourist spot, the overview of that tourist spot will be shown. It was shown in a 3D view so it is just like reality. It helps tourists to get familiar with the tourist spots. It is also one of the most powerful ways to introduce the city to tourists.

From the examples above, it shows that techonologies play an important role in tourism industry. They help the culture and the atmosphere of the destinations become virtualize and it make DMOs feel easier to promote their countries. For my home town, they use a lot of technologies to help tourists know more about Hong Kong. I think HKTB has done a great job and use the techonologies well.

To know more about the technologies which HKTB used, you can go to:
http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/index.html

Mobiles

In the past, map and guide books are the only tools for traveling. But now, more and more new technologies are invented and they provide a more sophisticated guide for tourists and make the trips easier to go. New technologies like Wi-Fi and GPS are the most popular tools now. Wi-Fi is a wireless local area network. People can use Wi-Fi to get access to the internet and search for what they want. Wi-Fi is very useful as you can find maps, descriptions of the tourist spots and transportations on the internet. GPS is a tool that can trace where you are. By using satellites, GPS can show you the position and also the way to go to the places you want. Using the new technologies can make travelers feel safer and give them convenience. Feeling more secure and convenient, people are indirectly encouraged to travel more.

Everything seems fine when there are new technologies. But do you think it is good to have new technologies around us always? It is no doubt that technologies give us convenient and make our life better. They can improve our life quality and save our time. But because of the convenience that technologies bring, people rely on them more. It is not uncommon to see people using iphones, netbooks or smart phones on the street. Wi-Fi is everywhere. You can get access to the internet even in a shopping centre. Technologies were at first an additional tool for people. But now they have already become daily essentials. People can’t live without them.


Travel by using technologies has undeniably shortened travelers’ time to find the way and tourists do not even need to bring the heavy guide books with them. For me, traveling using maps and guide books can bring us more memorable experiences than using new technologies. Using maps, you are searching by yourselves. But using GPS, you are just following the instructions. It sounds like you are controlled by the new technologies.

I can’t agree more that technologies help us a lot in travel. I do think that we should make use of new technologies when travelling. But I would like to remind people not to just rely on new technologies. People are not that stupid and they can live without technologies. Technologies are only tools that help you but not control you. So, don’t let technologies lead you and try to control over them.

photosynth

Does IT matter?

Information & Technologies, IT, has become an important tool for running business nowadays. Nearly all companies use computers and other soft wares to help organizing and managing their information, projects and clients' details etc. Most of the businesses now are digitalized as it is quicker and more convenient. IT sometimes is a symbol of professional too. If a company does not use IT for running business, some clients may think that they are not reliable and human errors are easily made.


According to the article "Does IT matter?", the IT industry is now nearly saturated. There are a lot of It companies which provide similar products and services to their customers, business companies. Because of the economies of scale, the price of IT products has decreased and nearly all people can afford it. As the IT industry is nearly saturated, all the IT companies need to undergo some strategies in order to survive. They are trying hard to lower the cost and at the same time improve the quality. Then they can sell the products at a lower price compared to other competitors.


IT companies are facing a hard time so as to out stand from other competitors and attract more customers. In this situation, their customers, business companies, can get some advantages. As the IT companies are competing, they will try to modify their products and sell them at a low price. So for business companies, they can have a large range of varieties of products to choose and all the products are not expensive and affordable. In other words, they can lower the expenditure on IT aspect and this will definitely help the business companies to maintain their business as the expenditure in IT covers a large part of the whole expenditure of business companies.




An example of e-Tourism







Hospitality and tourism industry is one the of biggest clients of the IT industry. Most of the businesses in tourism industry need IT for help. As it is a global business, they always need to communicate with other countries. So IT can help a lot for running the business. Therefore, tourism and hospitality companies should take this advantage and widely use IT for working. IT plays an important role in hospitality and tourism industry. It provides connections with other companies or organizations all over the world. It gives a platform for hospitality companies to exchange their knowledge and news. It also helps companies for searching the information of different destinations. All in all, IT cannot be omitted in hospitality and tourism industry. So tourism companies should make well use of IT in order to make themselves more competitive in the industry.

Global Distribution System (GDS)

Global Distribution System (GDS) is now one of the most popular distribution channels in tourism and hospitality industry. It is a global platform that allows hospitality companies sell their products and services to travelers all over the world.

GDS is first created in airline industry. It is originally used by travel agents for checking the flight schedules from different airline companies. Nowadays, it has developed to be an online market for not only travel agents but travelers buying tickets and packages.

A table shows how GDS works

Members or participants of GDS




GDS is very useful for people buying tickets online. It groups the schedules and prices of different companies so it is easy for customers to find all the information they want and compare the products of different companies. It can help customers to save time too. They can just stay at their homes and search on the internet. After they have selected the most suitable products for themselves, they could even buy it online. By using GDS, people can do the whole purchase process at homes and it is very convenient for them. Nowadays people are very busy with their work and businesses so this system really helps a lot. GDS is very helpful for hospitality companies too. It provides them one more distribution channel to sell and promote their products. Also, the whole purchase process is computerized so the hospitality companies can lower the human errors and also the demand for staff.

However, there are some disadvantages too. For customers, as the whole purchase process is done in the internet and there is no staff to be directly contacted, it will be difficult for travelers to search for help if there are some problems. For the companies, they need high cost to run the GDS. They always need to keep updating the price and schedules. They also need someone to monitor it 24 hours. Moreover, as GDS are usually used by large chains or companies, it is difficult for some small companies to get into a system.

One more thing the travelers need to be alert is privacy. When travelers buy the products online, they need to give their personal details including phone number, address and credit number. It is a bit risky if the personal details are leaked or hacked.

GDS is undeniably a very convenient and useful tool for both sellers and buyers. However, there are some disadvantages and potentials when using this system. Therefore, both sellers and buyers need to be careful in order to make use of it.